Spireites fail to land killer blow

Spireites had the chances to have taken all three points at Bobby Williamson's Chester City but they failed to capitalise.

Jamie Ward was the main offender but the little man's overall performance was outstanding as the home side simply had no answer to his darting runs and greased-lightning turns. Unfortunately his shooting was off target.

Ward had an early effort disallowed for a foul after Jack Lester and Steve Fletcher, who made up the trio of attackers, set him up but a shove on James Vaughan meant the 'goal' was scrubbed off.

He twice saw keeper John Danby deny him, once after a corner and again, near the end, after bursting effortlessly through the defence from inside his own half, drawing the keeper out but failing to beat the host's last line. Sandwiched between those saves was a 12 yard, unmarked shot, that he tried to place just inside the upright, but he slightly misjudged and the shot edged wide.

Sub Jamie Lowry also saw a one-on-one saved by Danby a couple of minutes from the end after an exquisite one-two with Ward, but a corner was the only reward.

City had their moments, most in the opening portion of the second half. John Murphy had the ball in the net from a header but, like Ward, he fouled on the way whilst, at the death, Simon Yeo shot across the face of goal after an error at the back, though Phil Picken and Barry Roche did well to narrow the Chester man's space and options.

The host's most dangerous man was ex-Rotherham United winger Richie Partridge who was marshalled by former team-mate Gregor Robertson. Overall the contest was halved, but for a 20-minute spell, Partridge was the principal in the duel.

Midfielder Jamie Winter was the pick of the five Spireites debutants. Fletcher was steady and kept things simple, Lester never really got going, Robertson always had his hands full whilst Peter Leven had some flashes of inspiration but was the first man to be subbed with Adam Smith coming on to offer the side a more direct approach from midfield.

Manager Lee Richardson was generally satisfied with his side, but acknowledged there could have been more points, "I thought in terms of chances, we clearly had the best chances in the game and we missed several one-on-ones. Ward missed three and Lowry came on and did well to get in on the blind side and missed another chance, so overall we edged it."

"In the first half we were the dominant side and, to be fair to Chester, for 25 minutes in the second half they were in the ascendancy hence the reason I changed the shape, I felt they were attacking us down the sides a bit too easily."

"It's a clean sheet which is good and for some better finishing, we could have had all three."

On picking his first choice strikers as a threesome, Richardson commented, "In the first half, although I felt there was more they could have done, I was quite pleased because we looked threatening, they looked like creating chances at a moment's notice, we got in behind them on a couple of occasions and Jamie Ward would, on another day, have done better and maybe had a hat-trick, but I thought he was outstanding for us and showed plenty of effort."

"In the second half, it was a very hot day, we started to tire and they started to get down the sides of us too easily but once we changed the shape, we looked the better side again and the two young lads we brought on, Lowry and Smith, gave us a bit of a lift and we started to attack down the flanks and cause them some problems, so overall, a clean sheet, a point but it should probably have been three."